The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) is a government worker union representing schoolteachers in New York City. It is an affiliate of the national American Federation of Teachers labor union as AFT Local 2 and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and is one of the largest local unions in the nation. 15 In response, the UFT’s “Movement of Rank and File Educators” caucus released a statement criticizing Chancellor Banks’ comments while claiming they were and example, “of the erasure of our Palestinian students, staff, and families. 15 In addition, the caucus released educational resources from Teach Palestine and Rethinking Schools for member teachers to use while announcing it would co-sponsor a Pro-Palestinian rally in Brooklyn on October 20th with several groups including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). In addition, a NYC publi schoolteacher anonymously informed Defending Education (PDE) about an online Facebook char group that been used by UFT members in which pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli messages and images were shared. 15
In July 2025, the UFT endorsed self-described “democratic socialist” Zohan Mamdani in his campaign for Mayor of New York City. UFT president Michael Mulgrew stated, “This is a real crisis and it’s a moment for our city, and our city is starting to speak out very loudly…[t]he voters are saying the same thing, ‘Enough is enough.’ The income gap disparity is above that, which we have seen that which we saw during the Gilded Age.” 16
Legislative Priorities
Legislative priorities of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) include major left-leaning issues including supporting state bills such as the Reproductive Rights Act, which expanded abortion availability and lifted certain restrictions on the practice, and the Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act. The union touted 2019 as “the most progressive legislative session in decades” and expressed that “This was government at its best.” 0){
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